


trial of.

by a_jiuu



Category: Sky: Children of the Light (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Developing Friendship, First Meetings, M/M, Peter has no concept of self-preservation..., Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:14:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28620873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_jiuu/pseuds/a_jiuu
Summary: fire is not always physical in the Trial of Fire.Elijah / Peter.
Kudos: 10





	trial of.

**Author's Note:**

> commission for a friend.
> 
> Elijah belongs to me & Peter belongs to Miss. Annabelle.
> 
> toying around with the wardrobes in Sky with my beta, i created Elijah's soft and bouncy dreadlock look while she created 'Poma', an adorable Valley themed character with enormous fluffy hair. the next day, Annabelle created Peter - a gentle looking, but rough around the edges boy with the Grateful Seashell Collector’s wispy hair. they're quite cute together. well. in my opinion, at least. <3 (BETAED && EDITED.)

well. he’s never had to genuinely prove himself - not even once in his life. the warm, sunkissed pocket realm that Seiiki oversaw; its functions and ministrations creating a relaxed atmosphere filled with the sounds of delighted star children, the chirps of manta pleasantries, and tides washing over the white sand beaches. nothing about this place required trial, nor challenge (though the old man’s cliff-climbing sports, as well as crab-wrangling was certainly an option to consider when it came to feats of endurance or strength..).

and so, when Peter finds himself face to face with a looming abyssal void with no direct nor further explanation regarding its presence, except a thin, sandy pathway which grew more and more narrow as it progressed towards the pitch-black condensed darkness - he’s just not sure that something this wicked-looking could possibly exist after living his entire rather uninteresting life in the Sanctuary Islands.

distastefully, Peter’s initial startle doesn’t last nearly as long as he wants. his soft eyes widen for half a second before boredom and dissatisfaction floods back through his veins. turning around, he finds only the glowing meditation shrine that would whisk him away should he focus his core enough - bring him far away from this unpleasant place. all around the mass of terrain he stands on is an empty void.

oh, what would it be like to fall off the edge?

his arms prickle with chills stemming from the unknown abyss before him, but Peter quickly blames it on the lack of his black cloak.

a test of strength, endurance, and resistance to the darkness? Peter internally scoffs at the absurd idea that a more dangerous darkness than the volatility of the Storm Zone - the Eye of Eden could possibly exist in a dusty, newly discovered pocket realm.

nevertheless. he pauses before entering the darkness.

Peter tentatively poked his hand into the darkness, wondering if the ligament, flesh, and cloth would be ripped, chewed, torn, or sliced off. when it's not and his hand returns to the light, unscathed and freezing cold, he can’t help but to sigh softly with a twinge of disappointment.

he steps completely into the darkness and instantly shivers, swallowed by the shadows. his suddenly-flickering core emits a softer light, so he hastily brandishes his eternally glowing red candle with a small flustered flourish.

the pitch-black void has teleported himinto some sort of cave system. peering around, unaware of his slowly dimming light - he finds thick walls made of sturdy stone and whispers of dust clouds due to the little gusts of wind that whistle eerily through the rocky Hell he’s stuck himself in.

the candle in his hand fizzles quietly and Peter looks down at it in alarm, finding his fingers turning to solid rock. his hands cover the light core in the center of his chest, whirling around in a panic to step out of the black abyss, but found nothing but a solid wall of hardened mineral there.

his eyes widen in alarm, stumbling forwards as his the rest of his trembling hands begin to thicken and harden into stone. he trips over something in the darkness, tumbling forwards slightly, and twists back to see an unlit, glowing white candle.

Peter brings forth his dying flame and lights the damned thing, shoving his hands into the fire and watches in relief as the stone melted from his flesh. he glares at the empty cavern around him and curses the supervisor of this tortuous realm.

at least, the old man from the Sanctuary Islands provided detailed instructions before leading Peter on a wild goose chase up the island cliffs.

up ahead, he can see, with his adjusted vision that’s grown used to the darkness, another white candle. and past that one is another and another.

Peter grimaces as he hesitantly moves forwards to light the next candle in order to keep his flesh from turning to stone - _how infernal.._

he keeps this horrific survival strategy up, swiftly stumbling to the next candle, determined to finish this sick Trial of Fire as fast as he possibly can. after all, as he continues following the line of candles to keep himself alive, he finds it becomes easier and quicker.

it does not, however, soften the feeling of being treated like an ignorant rat in a maze.

there are little markers placed sporadically throughout the cave system that bear a flame symbol. a white candle rests beneath it. by the time Peter reaches the seventh one, he wonders if he’s even reached halfway yet.

wiping a brow, he looks out to see the next line of white candles he’s meant to follow, pitifully so. trying to reason with the absurdity of it all, he insists that it’s not so hard - he’s alone after all.

actually… very worryingly, there have been little tremors in the ground and soft vibrations shake the walls around him - bothering the goddamn Light out of him.

_i’m alone here._

the candle behind him on the fire symbol marker sputters out and Peter’s left in the darkness once again.

when he presents his red candle once again, a darkened face illuminates against the candle-light and Peter jolts with fear.

“are you lost, boy?” the stranger inquires teasingly, a wide wicked smile stretching across his shadowy features.

Peter swallows thickly to compose himself, pushing past the mischievous little boy in the dark to re-ignite the beacon.

“the contrary. i’m not lost at all.” Peter replies gruffly. “well. more importantly, don’t you know it’s rude to jump out at people in the dark.”

the smaller boy leans against his knobbly wooden staff. a dangling charm with a mass of jewels and feathers flutters against the length of it; the gems clink together sweetly as he moves.

“you’re going the wrong way.” the stranger points in Peter’s direction with his pretty staff. “if you continue this path, my friend, you’ll end up back at the beginning of my labyrinth.”

Peter scowls at him.

“and. i know that.” he argues defiantly. “i just needed to retrace my steps since you jostled me.” he corrects his path and pauses abruptly to face the mischievous devil spawn - and finds him directly behind him. the charm crystals chime again when the two boys’ bodies are forcibly knocked together.

“ _your_ labyrinth?” Peter demands.

the boy shrugs.

“sure. if you desire specifics, the maze was designed by my master, the Fire Prophet, but i’ve been appointed by him to guide those who lose their way here to the finish.” he explains carefully, stepping back from Peter hesitantly.

of course this infernal boy was a part of the treachery of this Eden-awful place.

Peter sniffs disdainfully, stepping forwards again, closing the space between the two of them confidently. “i’m not lost, so return to the shadows, pest.” he threatens loosely. he leers down at the Fire Prophet’s subordinate, delighting in his taller height.

_this will make him back off, surely._

the stranger steps back again, grimacing at the stone wall that prevents him from adding mre distance between them.

“alright.” the boy agreed evenly, smiling sweetly - the candlelight illuminates his softer features nicely. a strange contrast from the bulky Fire Prophet who had greeted Peter at the genesis of the Trial of Fire. “if you need my help, just call out.”

Peter rolls his eyes and scoffs.

“i don’t even know your na-”

the candle light flickers out again, and when Peter takes his candle back out to ignite the irritatingly weak wick, the other boy is gone.

he continues on, on the correct path thanks to the annoying labyrinth mouse. the tremors grow stronger, and in addition to that terrifying realisation, Peter does genuinely consider a few times, watching the tips of his fingers turn to stone every few circumstances that he couldn’t locate more white candles, calling out for the mysterious stranger.

spite keeps him grounded.

he picks up his pace, despising his situation even more, as he denies his brain of the fact that he keeps seeing bright glowing eyes moving around in the darkness - a brief vision of a misty body hurtling through the narrow corridors of the cave system.

_i’ve got to be nearly out._

_how long have i been here?_

he pauses to catch his breath. the deeper he’s ventured, the darker the place has grown. the air is colder, thinner, and his core flickers out much faster than before. Peter grits his teeth as he pushes forwards again, swearing, “Elders Above. i will never come here again.”

he pauses again feeling the ground shake so viciously, so suddenly below him - petrifying him to the spot. it was a tremendous tremble that rocked even the littlest pebbles on the floor into a spasm. Peter whirled around to see a pair of piercing eyes barrelling towards him at a monstrous speed.

he can’t move, despite his mind shouting at him to run - he can’t - !!

_i don’t even know your name..._

from another corridor, leaps the stranger boy from earlier, tackling Peter around the waist and shoving him down and out of the way into the tiniest edge of the pathway while the beast concealed in darkness sped past, siphoning and devouring any warmth and light in it’s path that it could possibly get.

Peter’s softer eyes flutter open anxiously. the boy is below him in his arms on the hard rock writhing and cringing in pain after his feat of strength: landing onto his back, and pillowing Peter’s own fall as well.

their two cores are linked, feeding one another so that their Light wouldn’t go out in the darkness, nor from the underground creatures that sought to swallow every ounce of warmth there was to find.

Peter takes his hands off the other boy, pressing his dusty palms against the stone floor to hold his own weight up instead. he glares down at the stranger, unsure of what to say.

“what was that?” he decides to ask as the stranger’s eyes reopen; they’re squinted in pain, but he seems pleased that Peter is alright and not another stone statue. Peter feels himself reluctantly softening. “are you okay? that was stupid of you.”

the stranger peers up at him, having seemingly processed their position and the events that occurred. Peter grows indignant when the boy actually blushes gently - pink hues under his skin highlighted under the Light of their cores.

“even i don’t know what they are.” the boy murmurs quietly. he slides away, out from under Peter and sighs, rubbing his side as close to his sore back as he can. “i’m fine. nothing i haven’t trained for.”

Peter moves to sit back and stare incredulously at this Star Child.

“are you fine, my friend?”

Peter nods, entirely flabbergasted by the stranger’s optimism and act of normalcy after being nearly run over by a dark, unknown creature.

“you never told me your name.” Peter accuses. “well. it doesn’t matter since you still… but that’s quite rude, you know.”

the boy laughs - Peter instantly hating the delightful sound when it reverberates and echoes - he retrieves his misplaced staff and checks it for damages.

“my name is Elijah.” he tells Peter with a smile, bowing to him politely. “but you know, you didn’t tell me your name either.”

Peter flushes gently with embarrassment and Elijah laughs at him again, worsening his shame.

“well.” a pause. “..it’s Peter.”

Elijah sticks out his hand and offers it to Peter, who grabs it reluctantly.

“come along then, Peter. you’re just about done here.”

**Author's Note:**

> Seiiki, by the way, is my Sanactuary Guider. (unmentioned, but (Os)Iris is my Prophecy Guider. These, respectively, are Elijah and Peter's higher-ups. ^


End file.
